A BOOK OF OLD-WORLD GAR- 

 DENS AN ESSEX 

 GARDEN BY ROBERT SOUTHEY 



ALL WAS AS IT SHOULD BE AT THAX- English 

 ted Grange. Picturesque was a term which had cc 

 never been heard there; and taste was as little 

 thought of as pretended to; but the right old 

 English word comfort, in its good old English 

 meaning, was nowhere more thoroughly under- 

 stood. . . . Every thing was for use, and nothing 

 for display, unless it were two fowling pieces, 

 which were kept in good order over the fire- 

 place in the best kitchen, and never used but 

 when a kite threatened the poultry, or an owl 

 was observed to frequent the dove-cote in pre- 

 ference to the barn. 



But out of doors as much regard was shown 

 to beauty as to utility. Miss Allison and Betsey 

 claimed the little garden in front of the house 

 for themselves. It was in so neglected a state 

 when they took possession that, between chil- 

 dren and poultry and stray pigs, not a garden 

 flower was left there to grow wild: and thegravel 

 walk from the gate to the porch was overgrown 

 with weeds and grass, except a path in the mid- 

 dle which had been kept bare by use. On each 

 side of the gate were three yew-trees, at equal 

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